DeBussy peer?

[RichD]

Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.

Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?

—
Rich

[Henk vT]

Post by RichD
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?

I'd call Charles Koechlin's music ethereal too:

Henk

[Andy Evans]

Messiaen La Nativite, Les Bergers

[JohnGavin]

Post by Andy Evans
Messiaen La Nativite, Les Bergers
http://youtu.be/lwwjfZV0isI

Also Messiaen - from Vingt Regards sur L’Enfant Jesus:

Premiere communion Di la Vierge
Le Baiser de L ‘Enfant Jesus

[Al Eisner]

Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?
Rich

Szymanowski's "second period" seems plainly influeced by Debussy,
although I don't know I'd use the term "ethereal". My favorites
of his piano works, Metopes and Masques, are from this period. You
might want to check them out and see what you think.

[Todd Michel McComb]

Naxos is releasing an album of hommages to Debussy this month...
"Le Tombeau de".

[Andy Evans]

Completely off topic, but I used to know a viola player who had a cat called De Pussy.

She also had a van called Ludwig Van.......

[Bob Harper]

Post by Andy Evans
Completely off topic, but I used to know a viola player who had a cat called De Pussy.
She also had a van called Ludwig Van.......

Best comment in this thread! :)

Bob Harper

[number_six]

Post by RichD
Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?
—
Rich

I can't readily think of something by Adams that I'd call ethereal, but am open to suggestions.

Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style -- might include Harrison and Hovhaness.

Surprisingly, Nyman, who normally is anything but, touches the ethereal in Fish Beach.

[number_six]

Post by number_six

Post by RichD
Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?
—
Rich

I can't readily think of something by Adams that I'd call ethereal, but am open to suggestions.
Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style -- might include Harrison and Hovhaness.
Surprisingly, Nyman, who normally is anything but, touches the ethereal in Fish Beach.

Where Adams is concerned, Christian Zeal and Activity just came to mind.

The music might be considered ethereal, whereas the lexical /sampled component of the work is more temporal.

[Todd Michel McComb]

Post by number_six
Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style --
might include Harrison and Hovhaness.

Moving in a similar direction (in the case of Harrison), I would
certainly suggest Cage. In the latter's case, that influence is
historical via Satie. However, even Cage's early piano music shows
some Debussy-esque traits. Check out e.g. the classic album _Prelude
to Meditation_ for a mix of stylistic eras from Cage that nonetheless
suggest parallels with Debussy throughout. Or in perhaps more
straightforward & extended fashion, a late work such as One10
(recorded e.g. by Irvine Arditti)....

[number_six]

Post by Todd Michel McComb

Post by number_six
Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style --
might include Harrison and Hovhaness.

Moving in a similar direction (in the case of Harrison), I would
certainly suggest Cage. In the latter's case, that influence is
historical via Satie. However, even Cage's early piano music shows
some Debussy-esque traits. Check out e.g. the classic album _Prelude
to Meditation_ for a mix of stylistic eras from Cage that nonetheless
suggest parallels with Debussy throughout. Or in perhaps more
straightforward & extended fashion, a late work such as One10
(recorded e.g. by Irvine Arditti)....

If you see a lineage from Debussy / Satie to Cage, who, if anyone, is next in the line?

BTW, I'm by no means certain that the OP and I were both using the same definition of ethereal, a word that carries very different possible meanings. More on that later, if OP is interested.

[Todd Michel McComb]

Post by number_six
If you see a lineage from Debussy / Satie to Cage, who, if anyone, is next in the line?

The post-Cage musical universe is actually quite rich. The label
Another Timbre is one that explores this space, recently turning
to more of an emphasis on composed works & moving onto e.g. Presto.
That might be a good place to look.

I'm generally more interested in improvisation myself.... But e.g.
I enjoy the Bondi-Martel-Schiller trio, and they're moving more
into composition... a sort of post-Cage, post-improvisation
composing....

[Mandryka]

Post by number_six

Post by Todd Michel McComb

Post by number_six
Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style --
might include Harrison and Hovhaness.

Moving in a similar direction (in the case of Harrison), I would
certainly suggest Cage. In the latter's case, that influence is
historical via Satie. However, even Cage's early piano music shows
some Debussy-esque traits. Check out e.g. the classic album _Prelude
to Meditation_ for a mix of stylistic eras from Cage that nonetheless
suggest parallels with Debussy throughout. Or in perhaps more
straightforward & extended fashion, a late work such as One10
(recorded e.g. by Irvine Arditti)....

If you see a lineage from Debussy / Satie to Cage, who, if anyone, is next in the line?

Jürg Frey, for example in the cycle Toucher L’air.

[number_six]

Post by Mandryka

Post by number_six

Post by Todd Michel McComb

Post by number_six
Composers who achieved ethereality -- but not in the Debussy style --
might include Harrison and Hovhaness.

Moving in a similar direction (in the case of Harrison), I would
certainly suggest Cage. In the latter's case, that influence is
historical via Satie. However, even Cage's early piano music shows
some Debussy-esque traits. Check out e.g. the classic album _Prelude
to Meditation_ for a mix of stylistic eras from Cage that nonetheless
suggest parallels with Debussy throughout. Or in perhaps more
straightforward & extended fashion, a late work such as One10
(recorded e.g. by Irvine Arditti)....

If you see a lineage from Debussy / Satie to Cage, who, if anyone, is next in the line?

Jürg Frey, for example in the cycle Toucher L’air.

thanks to both you and Todd for suggestions

I see there was a 2012 compilation called "PostCage"

Naturally amazon asked did I mean "postage"

[Todd Michel McComb]

Post by number_six
I see there was a 2012 compilation called "PostCage"

I guess it'd infiltrated my memory somehow, but I wasn't recalling
it specifically....

There's also something like this:

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/0-minutes-and-0-seconds

(Ernesto Rodrigues is amazing in general.)

[Mandryka]

Re post Cage, many composers have explored the implications of 4,33.

Peter Ablinger's Piano and Record is the sound of an empty LP transcribed for piano. Example here, love it.

https://ablinger.mur.at/i+r_pno+rec.html

The transcription has made something out of nothing. Ontological bliss. And what a revelation that music is there in something which previously we thought was just a void. There's a moral lesson, a lesson for life, in there.

That page from Peter Ablinger's website refers you to his production Weiss / Weisslich, which is 7 vinyl records without sound

https://ablinger.mur.at/ww13.html

[gggg gggg]

Post by RichD
Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?
—
Rich

(Youtube upload):

How to Sound Like Debussy

[Mandryka]

Post by RichD
Listening to DeBussy’s Arabesque yesterday, got me thinking
about the adjective ‘ethereal’, which describes a whole
genre of music. It strikes me that he’s the paragon of
this style, more than anyone else.
Would you say there’s any composer comparable, whether
previous generations, or contemporary? Did he inspire
any students? Does John Adams qualify?
—
Rich

Try Magnard Promenades, Decaux Clair de lune, Tournemire preludes,